The present invention relates to a parts supply device for supplying electronic parts to an electronic parts mounting machine, a method for supplying the electronic parts to the parts mounting machine, and a system and an apparatus for managing the electronic parts in supplying them to the parts mounting machine.
Conventionally, a unit accommodating a plurality of electronic parts, for example, a unit which is composed of electronic parts attached onto a carrier tape and covered with a cover tape, the tapes and the parts being wound around a reel, is mounted on a parts supply device set on the parts mounting machine. Electronic parts are sequentially fed from the parts supply device to a predetermined removing position according to a parts mounting operation of the parts mounting machine.
If all or some of the electronic parts of the unit held by the parts supply device are supplied to the parts mounting machine and the parts are suddenly exhausted, the parts mounting operation is suspended until a different parts supply device is set on the parts mounting machine. Thus, the operating efficiency of the parts mounting machine is reduced. In order to operate the parts mounting machine without a suspension, the initial number of parts held by the parts supply device is manually inputted to the parts mounting machine so that the number of parts is rewritten by the writing means of the parts mounting machine according to a parts mounting operation of the parts mounting machine.
However, in view of the fact that tens to hundreds of parts supply devices are set on the parts mounting machine in recent years, the conventional construction necessitates much time and labor to be spent in inputting the data of the initial number of each kind of parts. Further, an erroneous data input may occur.
It is possible to provide the parts supply device with a storing section for storing the initial number of parts so that the initial number is read by the reading means of the parts mounting machine. But the number of parts stored in the storing section cannot be rewritten by the construction where only a storing section is provided, so that the number of parts is unknown when the parts supply device is set on the parts mounting machine again.
It is also possible that the parts mounting machine has a function for rewriting the number of parts according to each parts mounting operation. In this case, the part mounting device is required to communicate with each parts supply device set thereon so as to rewrite the number of parts. Since it takes a considerable length of time to perform communications, it is difficult to reduce the parts mounting operation.
In addition, conventionally, in a parts managing section which stores units each accommodating several kinds of electronic parts, the data of each unit is manually inputted to the data base each time they are set into the parts managing section. In addition, each time a unit mounted on the parts supply device is transported from the parts managing section or some parts which remain unused are returned to the parts managing section after a series of mounting operations terminates, the data thereof are also manually inputted to the data base.
If electronic parts are exhausted suddenly with the parts supply device set on the parts mounting machine, the parts mounting operation is suspended. Thus, the operating efficiency of the parts mounting machine is reduced. According to the conventional art for operating the parts mounting machine without suspension, the initial number of parts mounted on each parts supply device is manually inputted to the control device of the parts mounting machine and data is rewritten every time that one of the parts is mounted on the parts mounting machine. When a series of parts mounting operations terminates, the number of parts of each kind which remain unused is outputted from the control device. Based on the data obtained by the output, the data of the number of parts which are to be returned to the parts managing section is manually inputted to the control device in setting the parts supply device on the parts mounting machine again.
As described above, the conventional construction requires much time and labor and in addition, an erroneous data input or an input omission may occur. As a result, a difference may arise as to the number of parts indicated by the data and the actual number of parts.
Further, a manual input of data to the control device of the parts mounting machine leads to the spending of much time and labor and may result in an erroneous data input. In order to solve this disadvantage, a storing section is provided in the parts supply device so that the storing section stores the initial number of parts and the control device reads the data stored in the storing section when the parts supply device is set on the parts mounting machine. But when the parts supply device is removed from the parts mounting machine, a disadvantage similar to the above-described one occurs. It is possible for the control device to rewrite the content stored in the storing section of the parts supply device. But it takes much time for the control device and the storing section to perform communications with each other. Thus, it is difficult to reduce the parts mounting operation.